The Economic System of Islam — Page 15
15 tremendous service for his people that not only his own people, but others also recognized them. His services were appreciated during his own time but also thirteen hundred years later and by people who were otherwise inclined to attacking his master. Yet, all of these services were nothing in Umar’s ra own eyes and he restlessly pleaded to God: ‘I was given a trust but I do not know if I fulfilled that trust as it was meant to be fulfilled. Therefore, I beseech You to forgive my faults and save me from the punishment. ’ I have deemed it necessary to describe at length the general envi- ronment needed for establishing the Islamic economic system, be- cause no matter how good a seed is, it would not mature into a tree unless the soil was appropriate for its growth and nourishment. On the other hand, even an ordinary seed, in a nourishing environ- ment, could grow and mature into a plant. Thus, the general envi- ronment described above is the precondition for the Islamic eco- nomic system intended to serve public interest. Types of Economic Systems in the World The economic systems prevalent in the world can be classified into three types. There is one type of economic system that is not governed by any specified rules and regulations, and can be called a ‘system’ only for the sake of convenience. Some nations and countries never spelled out how their economic system would be run and had no specific plan or policy towards that end. Such societies do not distinguish between individual and national goals,